If you're a camper, you're familiar with lightweight
freeze-dried or dehydrated foods available in camping and outdoor stores
and supermarkets. But another excellent source for dried, lightweight,
and nonperishable supplies is the Oriental grocery store. Whether the
store specializes in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Southeast Asian
foods, you'll find many ingredients that can add exotic variety to
camp menus--often at very reasonable cost.

These foods can be incorporated in Western-style dishes, or you can
emphasize their ethnic qualities. Suggestions for both approaches
follow. Because the taste of some ingredients (and mixes) may be new to
you, we recommend you try them at home first to determine your
preferences. Also, you'll want to evaluate the portions to make
sure they'll satisfy appetites in camp.

Most of the dry foods require rehydrations, so you'll need to
select campsites with a good source of water.

Here we outline some foods to try; on the following pages, we use
many of these foods in seven recipes to prepare in camp. Soups and
crackers

Most obvious of the ready-to-use Oriental foods suitable for camp
meals are soup mixes, particularly Japanese ones packaged in individual
servings. Just add hot water as the package directs. Some soups are
hearty enough to be the base of a light meal (read the labels to
decide). Choices include many flavors of noodle soups, as well as miso and clear soups.

In addition to a wide array of rice crackers, you can expect to
find lightweight crisp shrimp or taro chips (pack in rigid containers to
carry). Meat and fish

Most shoppers are surprised by the many different flavors of
seasoned pork and beef jerky (such as hot or spicy) found in Asian
markets; they're often sold in 4- to 8-ounce packages and represent
good value. Eat as is, or add to dishes.

Another discovery from China is shredded fried seasoned pork.
Fluffy in texture, it has a rich, meaty flavor and is good for snacking
or addint to hot dishes.

Dried shrimp, clams, and mussels may put you off with their pungent
odor, but reconstituted by soaking, they can have a mild and pleasant
flavor and fragrance. Vegetables and fruits

Less exotic, very useful vegetables include dry-fried onions or
shallots, dried shallots, or dehydrated garlic slices; you can use all
ot them in cooking or to sprinkle on as seasoning.

Bright green dry Japanese fried peas, sold with the rice crackers,
are best for munching; they also go well with soups.

Fermented (or salted) black beans are packaged dry and are
interesting as a seasoning for everyday dishes.

Dried shiitake mushrooms and curly white fungus travel well. Both
need to be soaked to soften. Use as you would other rehydrated
mushrooms.

Dried nori seaweed, slivered, is a nutritious topping for cooked
rice seasoned with soy sauce or for sushi rice.

Candied ginger, coconut, and melon, as well as dried mango, can be
used for seasoning or snacking. Dried mango is a delicious alternative
to dried apricots and is comparably priced. Starches

Dry pastas and noodles are popular in Asian cuisines; wheat
varieties can be used interchangeably with conventional pastas. Chinese
noodles may be curly, flat, in fancy shapes, or very thin--like the
quick-cooking fine noodles used with meatballs (page 177). Japanese
favor thin somen and thick udon (wheat noodles), and soba (buckwheat noodles).

Transparent noodles (called bean threads or long rice) and various
rice noodles (mai-fun, rice sticks, or rice vermicelli) provide a change
of texture from wheat pasta and also cook quickly. Seasoning mixes

Handy plastic pouches with individual servings of soy sauce contain
about 1 tablespoon of sauce, and are convenient. Among the many kinds
of dry seasoning mixes, you will find flavors designed for sushi rice,
stir-fry dishes, teriyaki, and sweet-and-sour dishes. They're
packed in airtight envelopes. Curry in a paste-cake form, sold in
packets or boxes, is another seasoning that comes in a variety of
flavors. If the seasoning is suggested for use with rice, you can adapt
it for use with packaged precooked rice--or try with other grains or
starches such as bulgus or noodles.

East-West camp dishes

In these seven main dishes for camping, you make use of at least 16
items found in Asian grocery stores.

Pack each meal separately along with written instructions to use in
camp. Each dish can be cooked on a small portable camp above.

Cooking times are estimates; the type of stove, weather conditions,
and altitude cause variations. Rice with Chinese Pork and Mangoes

Instructions: In a 1-1/2- to 2-quart pan, bring 1-1/2 cups water to
a boil, covered. Add rice mixture and soy sauce. Cover and set aside
until rice absorbs water, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir and top with peas,
peanuts, and mango slices. Serves 2. Mushrooms with Bean Threads

Instructions; Carefully open bean package and almost fill with
boiling water. Fold top of package to keep beans submerged; prop
upright and set aside.

Add water to shiitake and fungus in bag and shake gently to rinse;
drain. Place mushrooms in a 1-1/2- to 2-quart pan and add about 2 cups
water. Cover and bring to a boil; set aside until water is cool enough
to touch, about 15 minutes. Work mushrooms gently with your hands to
release any soil, then lift from water. Cut and discard stems from
shiitake.

Carefully pour mushroom liquid into another container, handling
gently so any grit stays in the bottom of the pan; discard grit. Rinse
pan. Combine in pan the mushroom liquid and enough water to make 2-3/4
cups. Add mushrooms, fungus, and bean threads.

Tear jerky into fine shreds; add to pan along with seasoned soy
sauce (or packaged seasoning mix). Cover and return to boil; simmer,
stirring often, until bean threads are tender to bite, 5 to 10 minutes
(you may need to add more water if mixture becomes dry). Drain green
beans and stir into bean-thread mixture. Serves 2. Pasta with Tomato
and Meatballs

Cover and bring to a boil; simmer until meatballs are tender and
moist to bite, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain beans and noodles and mix into
tomato sauce; heat through, in the same pan; add 1 tablespoon salad oil;
cook and stir until spices smell lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

Add 1 cup water to pan; cover and bring to a boil. (If using cake
curry mix, break up the cake and stir into water.) Add contents of rice
package, soy sauce, add shellfish. Cover; bring to a boil. Remove from
heat and let stand until rice absorbs liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir,
then top with sliced coconut and ginger. Serves 2. Scalloped Potatoes
with Fermented Black Beans

In a 1- to 2-quart pan, blend potato seasoning mix with 2-1/2 cups
water; add beans, potatoes, and pork. Cover, bring to a boil, then
simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 30 minutes (you may
need to add more water if mixture becomes dry). Stir as needed to
prevent scorching. Serves 2. Sushi Salad

Instructions: If using shrimp, combine 1 cup water and shrimp in a
2- to 3-cup pan. Cover and bring to boiling. Simmer until softened, 10
minutes; drain. Cover with cold water and knead gently with your hands
to release any grit. Lift out shrimp, draining, and set aside.

In the same pan, bring to boiling enough water to cover peas and
carrots; then add peas and carrots, cover, and let stand.

In a 1-1/2- to 2-quart pan, bring 3/4 cup water to boiling,
covered. Stir in rice and sushi seasoning; cover and set aside until
rice absorbs water, 2 to 10 minutes.

Uncover rice and stir often to cool. Drain vegetables and mix into
rice with shrimp (or accompany with jerky). Top with nori. Serves 2.

COPYRIGHT 1984 Sunset Publishing Corp.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.